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Hugging Face App Aims to Be Your ‘AI Friend’

Extra

Hugging Face app

New York-based start-up Hugging Face has launched a personalised AI-powered chatbot app of the same name to be your ‘friend’. The tech engages users in casual text conversations, exchanges GIFs and selfies, and analyses tone and words to decide what current affairs to chat about.

The app, available on the iOS App Store, was created solely to entertain and build a relationship with its user. “Hugging Face doesn’t want to sell products or connect you to services,” co-founder Clément Delangue told US-based tech website VentureBeat. “We really have this vision where we think everyone will have an AI friend and everyone will discuss things every day with Hugging Face, so that’s really what we’re focused on right now and for the next few years.”

While messaging initially seemed like a challenging environment for brands, consumers appear open to using messaging in new ways and communicating with chatbots. Some brands have more fans on messaging apps than social media forums: Brooklyn stadium Barclays Center has 54,000 followers on its Viber public chats, more than its Twitter or Instagram accounts.

To explore how messaging will become an indispensable means of mobile connection, why the channel is unique, what early-entry brands are doing and what the future holds, read The Messaging Opportunity.